Zoe Diana Draelos, M.D., is a consulting professor of dermatology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. She is investigator, Dermatology Consulting Services, High Point, N.C., and a Dermatology Times Editorial Advisor and co-medical editor.

The newest fad in antiperspirant/deodorants worldwide is skin lightening of the armpits combined with moisture and odor control. The need for armpit skin lightening is most pronounced among the higher Fitzpatrick skin types, in which armpit pigmentation is common.

Saw palmetto is a dwarf palm found in tropical climates that produces berries. These berries contain a naturally occurring substance that may block 5-alpha-reductase. This is the same mechanism by which finasteride works to grow scalp hair when taken orally by men.

While the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has credited hand sanitizers with minimizing the severity of the flu outbreak last year, there are some important organisms that cannot be killed by any type of hand sanitizer.